your Skill Caesar is good and will forgive an Ill For mine 's a Crime because he thinks so still The Great and Valiant is the Generous Foe He scorns what little petty Conquerors do His Honour prompts him by a better Law The Fault once own'd he soon Forgives the Crime And ne'er upbraids till he 's provok'd again So fiercest Lions tho' their Power great Pardon the Weak when Prostrate at their Feet Such an Acknowledgment decides the Fray And this is certainly the nobler way But Wolves and Bears of an inferiour Race Always the same are fierce in every Place They no Submission take but seize their Prey And rudely bear the trembling Beast away Who was e'er Rougher than Achilles was Yet Dardanus his Griefs took so much Place His VVrongs was read in Fierce Achilles Face Such thoughts as these make me expect Relief That Heav'n will one day mitigate my Grief Had I bin conscious of some Mighty Fault I durst not then so much as this have Thought Had I in VVine profan'd great Caesar's Name Manag'd reflectingly so good a Theme Had I bin Treacherous I shou'd desire to dye Rather than live with so much infamy But for beholding what I cou'd not shun Banish'd for what my Eyes have only done Is hard and yet for this I 'm Banish'd Rome Now what I ask is you wou'd intercede If Liberty is never to be had Pray my Removal from this horrid Place And I 'le rest satissy'd my Friend with this ELEGY VI. To Perilla GO to Perhilla Letter hasty Go Tell her of e'ery Circumstance you know You 'll find her Waiting by her Mother stand List'ning and Running at the least Command What e'er she 's doing of tell her of me She 'll leave it all and quickly follow thee A thousand times she 'll ask you how I do Whether I 'm melancholly still or No Whether my Health e'ent injur'd by my Fate And I grown old and bend beneath the Weight To all she says make her this short Reply I live but live impatiently to Dye Tell her the Mases are my Care again And all the Pleasure that I have's in them And while you talk ask her be sure why she Busy'd in other Studies left her Poetry She had a sort of Right by Birth to plead Her Father's Wit has always bin allow'd 'T was very hard shou'd Children only live Entitl'd to Diseases that their Parents have Sometimes a Fathers Wit 's a happy Share A Promising Portion in the meanest Heir When Nature in Perilla prov'd her Care And Form'd her Perfect as the Nicest are When every Stroak Foretold a certain Reign And Pregnant Wit early deserv'd a Name 'T was then I brought her to the sacred Spring And gave her to the Nine a grateful Offering They soon inspir'd with Art and Thought And all her Lines were Smooth as she were Taught None than Perilla more sublimely Flew Yet never lost her Rules severely True If Charming Lesbia sung a nobler Song Lesbia with Pains had Read the Muses long Perilla in her Infant Age writ strong Often with Pray'rs I blest th' Auspicious Sign Kist the young Girl in all her Actions Mine Often I wonder'd at the mighty Pow'r A Tale I 'ad heard but never knew before Thus was my thoughts Rais d to a vast Height To see my Darling Care Perhilla Great When strait some angry God his Thunder threw And striking me he struck Perilla too No sooner was my Banishment Decreed But my great hopes were in a Moment dead Perilla all her Books aside had laid What tho' by Reading I 'm unfortunate You may expect my Dear a better Fate Beauty 't is true you have a wondrous Share But Beauty Child tho' every Parent 's care Shines but a while and then will Disappear But Ladies that have Wit and Beauty too May boast more Slaves than Richest Tyrants do Nay when Time has Plough'd the lovely Face And all Perilla's thousand Charms decrease Her Eyes less sprightly and her Lips less red Ner Nose her Cheeks look nothing as they did Her Wit shall still a mighty Empire know And all Mankind shall to Perilla Bow Let this my Dear make you assume your Pen And read with care your Authors o'er again And Bless the World with th' Issue of your Brain FINIS VERSES UPON Several Occasions WITH SOME Translations Out of the Latin and Greek Poets By the same Author LONDON Printed for Richard Cumberland 1697. VERSES UPON Several Occasions ODE 3. Horace Lib. 1. To VIRGIL Taking a Voyage to Athens MAy Venus happily Conduct my Friend And Helen's Brothers shining Stars defend May Aeolus whose Voice the Winds obey Make thee his Care and still the Raging Sea Chain in his Den each Wind but what you want And like a God Protect and Storms prevent And you Fond Ship proud of your Burthen now Sail with more care than usually you do Safely convey him to the Attick Lands The best of Poets and the best of Friends In this you will Preserve my better Half My Virgil Dearer to me than my self His Heart was more than Brass who first durst go And visit distant Shoars as we do now Safe in a Ship the Floting Monsters see And be no more Concern'd i' th' Deep than they Caress the Watery People as they come And smile as tho' some Common thing he'ad done In vain the Prudent Deities divide Confine Mankind by an impetuous Tide While Impious Ships can Cross the Roughest Seas In spite of all the Force of Waves and Skies Nothing 's so Mad that foolish Man won't do Courting Forbidden Ills because they 're so Prometheus long ago begun the Way Stealing Jove's Fire to Animate his Clay But soon the God persu'd him with his Pow'r Sent him Diseases never known before While Death mov'd slowly in a lazy Pace Ages Man liv'd and good and happy was But now his Life 's Contracted to a Span Scarce sooner is he Born than he is gone His Sin made jealous Heav'n snatch him hence With hasty Death confound his Arrogance Fond Daedalus with Wings must needs go Try To Cut the Air and reach the Liquid Sky A Pow'r which Nature's wiser Laws deny Thro' Hell below the Fierce Alcides Ran A Place where none one wou'd 'ave thought wou'd gone Grown Gyants in Impiety we swell And Brave the Gods that wou'd at quiet dwell Nay Jove Assault in his Imperial Throne Uneasy if he lays his Thunder down ODE 5. lib. 1. To Pyrrha WHat Youth unskill'd in Pyrrha's Wanton Art Offers his Love and gives thee all his Heart With Choice Perfumes like a drest amorous Beau Courts Charming Pyrrha as I us'd to do Knocks at thy Door and fears to be deny'd Loving his Pyrrha more than all beside For whom do you those Flowing Locks prepare Careless yet finer than the nicest are When time shall show him what his Pyrrha is How will he Curse his Fond mistaken Bliss When he ne'er us'd to swelling Seas before Looks back and sees the dear
knew The Dear Companion of my tender Hours My Goods my self my very Soul was yours How blest I was when Rome first showed me you Brought us acquainted made me think you true Has your repeated Oaths no force to bind All general and common as the Wind Sure Rome the great good Place I leave Cou'd ne'r nurse you no Monsters she can have Rather some Rock within the Scythian Sea Damn'd for a thousand Murders e'ery day Where Female Tygers Nurst you at their Breast Found you a Man but Chang'd you to a Beast But still there 's one way left and only one Freely to own the Injuri's you 'ave done By this tho' late you may oblige me so I may commend you as I blame you now ELEGY VIII To his Friend He shows him the Levity of the Vulgar how meanly they attend upon Fortune and withdraw their Services in Affliction He takes Occasion to Commend his Friend for several Qualifications and concludes the Elegy with an Instance of his Friendship MAy you live long my Friend and always well Know nothing of the Ills the wretched Feel And tho' my Pray'rs for me the Gods despise The same for you may Mount a Sacrifice While Fortune 's yours a Croud will hov'ring be Fondly Commending all they hear and see No sooner do's the Fickle Goddess Frown But all your Parasites my Friend are gone As Doves for new built Houses do prepare While Ruin'd Towers all neglected are As gath'ring Ants to crouded Barns do come So do's the Vulgar to the Richest Run As in the Sun your Sha dow do's Attend And Walks and Turns and Cringes as you Bend But when a Cloud appears the Part 's no more Tho' it seem'd more than half of you before So vulgar Souls will Dance to Fortune's Light A Cloud once spread they Vanish out of sight Heav'n knows my Soul I very often sigh And passionately Pray the Gods for Thee That these may all my Friend seem false to you Tho' I by sad Experience find 'em True While I was Prosperous as others great What Crouds for Favours wou'd my House beset The Building struck the Wary People Fly By one consent avoiding what was nigh Nor do I Wonder that they Thunder Fear Whose fi'ry Bolts the strongest eas'ly Tear Yet Caesar in adversity has said That Man 's the best that by his Friend has stay'd When good Orestes Worth fierce Thoas knew He Prais'd the Love in Pylades he saw Hector he often Patroclus approv'd Tho' he his Enemy Achilles lov'd When Theseus waited on his Friend in Death Pluto cou'd scarce believe so great a Truth Convinc'd he Mourn'd and pitty'd him that Fell Crying himself to see them love so well Alas how Few my just Complaints do move How few in Rome like those of old that Love So vast my Grief so very much my Fears So Boundless are my ever falling Tears That did not you the mighty Torrent stay The Gath'ring Flood wou'd Threaten like a Sea You that have Courage to be Good that Dare In greatest Dangers for your Friend appear Not meanly mov'd as sordid Spirits are Nor is your Judgment than your Courage less Your Eloquence as well as Virtues Please When you Defend the Nicest must Applaud Your Cause your Words your Thoughts so very good Eas'ly I can your Growing Fortune Read Some Greatness yet as I have often sayd No superstitious Omens tell me this Tokens that fond mistaken Zealots please My Reason's all the Augury I know By this no other Prodigy I go By this instructed Happiness I give Joy of the Present and the Future Goods you 'll have The small Pretence I early had to Wit Ruin'd my Fortunes when I came to Write Your better Arts not like my Trifling Skill Has rais'd your Honour and must raise it still But yet you know I ne'er was ill inclin'd My Thoughts were Salli's of a youthful Mind My Manners were not like my Verses loose And Love I only for Diversion Choose Then since you can excuse me justly too Defend me still as I have heard you do ELEGY IX In Praise of his Ship with some short Account of his Voyage JUstly I Praise my Ship so good so fine She bears Minerva's Name as well as mine So apt to sail she moves with any Wind And hasty leaves deserted Shores behind Proudly she scorns but just to overcome But reaches those that long have been from Home Defy's the strongest Billows when they Beat And Foaming all their wonted Force repeat I Boarded her when I to Corinth came And long without a Change I kept the same Thro' many Dangers I have safely steer'd Always entreating Pallas when I feard And now I hope to Make the distant Land The Getick Coast Augustus do's command She bore me once through boyst'rous troubled Seas A long and mighty dang'rous Way to Pass When standing to the Left we shunn'd before With much adoe we made the Imbrian shore Then with a gentle Wind and calmer Sea She eas'ly Touch'd at Samos in her Way O' th' other hand there stands a lofty Wood Fam'd for its Growth and for it's neighb'ring Flood Here I the wide Bistonian Fields survey Walking a Foot while she puts off to Sea From Hellespont Dardania she Gain'd And Lampsacus for her Priapus Fam'd Then to the Seas the same Leander Crosst When Beauteous Hero urg'd him to be Lost From hence she had Fair Cyzicon in view So famous for the Arts her People knew Thence to Byzantium she Bore away Where we behold two Seas within one Bay And now Minerva grant that she may Pass Those Moving Isles that lye upon the Seas Next let her reach the Thynnian Bay and Fall 'Till she comes near Anchialus high Wall Then she Mesembria and Odesus must Make And view some Towers for their Bacchus sake And those Alcathous when Wandring Made With all the Houshold Gods he had So to Miletus where 's the Place I 'm sent To end a weary Life in Banishment And if I safely tread th' expected shore I 'll Sacrifice a Lamb to Pallas Pow'r Heav'n knows we cann't at this time Compass more And you two Brothers you this Island Prays Conduct us in our double diff'rent ways Let one the Euxine make with happy Gales While the other to Bistonia sails Let Winds Convey us to the Place we wou'd Tho' diff'rent both yet both have very good ELEGY X. This is an Apology for the fore-going Elegies the whole Book being made during the Fatigue of his Travels which he urges in Excuse THere 's not a Letter Reader but I writ Unhappily pursuing my ill Fate I writ it most in cold December's Frost While the Adriatick with her Billows Tosst The rest I Finish'd when the Isthmus passt We all took Ship again and sail'd in haste So odd a Thought amaz'd the Cyclades To see a Poet writing on the Seas I Wonder'd too the Patience of my Muse That in a Storm she shou'd not then Refuse The Waves alas had never been her use
The World may call it Madness what they please But this I know my Verses gave me ease Tho' Threatning Signs they dreadfully appear'd And Waters in Disorder show'd they Fear'd Sometimes the Ship seem'd Bury'd in the Sea Still I writ on the very Lines you see When Boreas with all his Force prevails Stretches our Cables Ruffling all our Sails While Waters parting by the Storm 's command Roll into Hills like highest Heaps of Sand Or rather Taller Mountains on the Land The Pilot ' ffrighted thoughtless of his Art Begins to Pray a very awkard Part With much a doe half words he stammering said And Promis'd all the Gods he wou'd be good The Gods regardless wou'd not take his Word Nor any Comfort for his Pray'rs afford All things lookt Ghastly that I heard and saw While still Death's Image kept within my view When various Thoughts were strugling in my Mind I Pray'd I Fear'd my Fears my Pray'rs inclin'd One while I 'd Pray to make the distant Land Then I 'de in haste recall that Pray'r again Tho' Heaven knows I fear'd the Winds and See Yet still the Land seem'd fiercer much than they At Home where Tempests only make a Noise There ah there at Rome I ' ad Enemies What must I then in unknown Nations find Monsters in Nature rude il-bred unkind These Terms too mild and favourably run For Creatures only in their Likeness Men Whose chiefest Art 's a barbarous Delight Some knowledge in the Battels that they Fight Besides to these with Disrepute I go Banish'd by Caesar so at Home a Foe These Thoughts a Storm within my Breast had made The other might this never cou'd be laid Now Reader if you 're generous and good If you can Pardon as a Reader shou'd My Faults in this Disorder you will Pass Think on the Time each Circumstance of Place Think too that I have more Correctly Writ When safe on Land in Arbours I have sate My Body ne'er was us'd to Frosts like these Nor was I e'er in Winter on the Seas And now I 'm there by much to soon I find But grant ye Gods you Gods that once were Kind The Winds and Frost may with my Verses end The End of the First Book The Second BOOK OF Ovid de Tristibus IMITATED To Augustus Caesar URg'd by my Fate I write again I Try As tho' the Muses had not Ruin'd me 'T was they Perswaded Caesar what you Read And thought my Life was like my Verses lewd Had I been Wise I ' ad Hated 'em at first The Learned Sisters as the Poets boast A Rhiming Crew their smiles like a Disease Quickly Confound their very Votary's This I have often known and yet possest To these I fly of these alone seek Rest So beaten Fencers Challenges repeat And give their Mangl'd Bodies to be hit So Shipwrack't Vessels plough the swelling Main And dare the very self-same Rocks again Less may my Dangers be rather like him He that was heal'd and wounded with the same My Muse that mov'd the great Augustus so May she the same Augustus soften now The Gods they say in numbers soonest hear And always answer first a Poet's Pray'r So Caesar made the Italian Matâ—ons bow In Numbers offer what their Opis knew So Phoebus was address'd in aptest Plays Nor did Apollo scorn the Poet's Bays By these Examples Caesar may you go If it 's too much to pardon milder grow Should I deny your Justice I shou'd sin And impudently move your Wrath again But had not I offending urg'd you so You then had wanted to forgive me now Shou'd Jove as often thunder as we sin Unarm'd the God a thousand times had bin No when his Thunder 's gone the Noise no more The Air is purer than it was before By this he 's Father of the Gods and Men By this he lives a Long and Happy Reign Caesar like him is Pater Patriae Caesar commands and thunders too as he Then like him too be absolutely good Pardon your Ovid as the God he wou'd Nor yet less good than great do's Caesar live So many Instances of both we have Often the Parthians have own'd you kind So God-like is the Temper of your Mind You Pardon'd tho' again the People sinn'd Riches and Honours I have known you give To Enemies that wou'd not have you live You scorn the Methods Meaner Princes know By better Arts you can Oblige us so That all must Love as well as Fear you too That day that War has threatned all before That very day your Anger has been o're Both Sides to th' Temple have their Offerings brought The Conquer'd pleas'd so brave the Victor fought And as your Souldier 's fond to overcome Others by yours are Proud to be out-done My Case is better than a Foe 's appears I make no Plots nor cause you open Wars I Swear by Heav'n and every Blest Abode By Caesar's dearest self a Present God My Soul do's such Obedience afford Intirely yours it knows no other Lord I 've wisht that you might late to Heaven Go When Life through Age grew Troublesome below When you were weary of an Empire here The Gods for your Reception might Prepare And Place Augustus in an Empire there As often as my Gifts the Altars had Witness ye Gods this was the Pray'r I made My Books tho' one of them became my Crime They most nay That do's often Caesar Name By this I my Obedience gave Not that you Lustre from my Lines cou'd have To such a Height no Poet e're cou'd Fly Yet all that Write have liberty to try Jove can't be greater nor his Acts more good Yet Praise in Verse has often pleas'd the God He lov'd the Song and own'd the Story true How Gyants Pelion on Ossa threw Such Beauty in the Thought so strong the Sense Poets have had a Privilege e're since The Gods a thousand Bullocks they have had All bleeding fresh upon their Altars laid And yet tho' us'd to Plenty when a Lamb A single Offering to their Temple came The Gods wou'd smile and take the Sacrifice For this alone they 'd Bless their Votary's Unlucky Chance or rather damn'd Design Who e're he was at first was so unkind To read my Verses to so chast an Ear Good as the yet unthinking Virgins are That don't so much as Tremble in a Dream Or Grasp the Image of the Youth they 've seen My looser Lines have such Impressions made You think the Present as the other Bad Some jealous Favorite invented this Thus to undoe me by an Artifice Methinks I hear how spitefully he read What envious Comments on my Words he made How he wou'd blush as Counterfeits they faint Good Lord a Man shou'd be so impudent This is not strange since e'ery one approves The happy Man the great Augustus loves But surely damns unheard a Person 's Crime Augustus disapproving thinks a Sin Nay I can hate my very self and do To think I shou'd deserve a Frown from you
can I in Briny Waters find What Meat if th' art a God like Heav'n be Kind Conduct me Back and leave me there behind Dolphins avoid the Land and Bulls the Sea But Land or Water all 's the same to thee Next thou 'lt with Wings like Birds perhaps prepare To Mount the Skies and Cut the Yielding Air Unhappy Maid so late my Mother's Care With whom I Wander now unknown or where Kind Neptune hear thy Suppliant's Pray'r Grant me Relief and Ease my Wonderous Fear Allay'd alone by this in hopes that you May prove the God that Bears Europa now At this the Bull in happy'st Accents spoke And Jove discover'd in each Word and Look Fear not Europa Heavens peculiar Care 'T is he Conducts you that design'd you Fair Your Guide with Thunder shakes the Sky When Earth or Heav'n disputes his Majesty And shall he fear the Surges of the Sea Crete shall Receive my Charge and own you Queen No Rusfling Cares shall ever Interveen Betwixt this Day and Ages yet unseen Lockt in your Arms in Balmy Joyes I 'll lye And then my Dear I 'll prove Divinity A Race of Heroes shall Europa Grace Their Father's Courage with their Mother's Face These prove their Force and make the Trembling Earth Admire their Power and freely own their Birth Thus while he spoke her Ghastly Thoughts all Fled And willingly Europa lost her Maiden-Head Idyll 3. Bion's EPITAPH WEep all ye Woods in mournful Whispers Breath And tell the Neighb'ring Groves of Bion's Death Ye Murm'ring Brooks the Fatal News declare 'Till distant Seas the dismal Tidings hear Ye tender Plants Lament your Loss Bemoan No more your juices boast your Virtues own 'T is just you perish when your Bion's gone Ye springing Flowers with-hold your Fragrant Smell Ye Roses Violets and Cowslips tell How good he liv'd how much lamented sell Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great Let tuneful Philomel from thickest Boughs In dying Notes the Herdsman's Death disclose 'Till Arethusa's streams receive the News The Doric Muse no longer loves the Plains But hates the Herdsmen and their Skill disdains When Bion sung so good his Song his Theme She proudly boasted what she heard from him Ye Swans that sporting on the Waters Play Droop all your Wings and Weep the Fatal Day In Notes such as were his your Tuneful Voices Try No Common Breath shou'd sound his Elegy Acquaint the Distant Virgins with your Song That often heard the Musick of his Tongue And Sigh'd as Mov'd by that his Wonderous Skill But Panting Breasts and Wishing Eyes reveal What they unhappy Nymphs wou'd fain conceal Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great The Cows so late th' Indulgent Herdsman's care Refuse their Food and Wander any where No more an Aged Oak shall boast he sate And kindly made her swelling Root his Seat No more her List'ning Boughs shall hear him Play And Curse the Wind that bore the Sound away Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great When first his Death the great Apollo knew He Mourn'd they Satyrs Wept Priapus too Pan mist his Notes and sighing sadly said Lament ye Nymphs the Artful Bion's dead The listning Eccho in her Cavern ly's As Bi n dumb and scorns the Vulgar Noise The Trees refuse their Fruit their Leaves all Cast And Withering Flowers fondly Breath their last The Dolphin Weeps and Wanders o'er the Shore The Nightingale in Notes unknown before By Grief instructed sings the Word No more The thousand Birds beside so late his Care Affrighted tell their Parents what they hear And gratefully to sing his Death prepare But who shall e'er Attempt his Oaten Pipe So lately sounded by so Sweet a Lip The Eccho keeps the happy Songs he made Pan has his Pipe but Pan to Play 's affraid Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can speak a Grief so great Poor Galatea Weeps she who so late Admir'd his Strains and list'ning fate And often Wish'd she cou'd his Songs repeat Had Cyclop Play'd like him his Tunes so good The Nymph had follow'd never Fled the God For Bion's sake she Treads the lonesom Shore And Feeds the Herds with him she Fed before No more endearing Songs the Muses Boast With him their Songs are gone their Numbers lost No more the Tender Virgins Kisses Move No more they hear the Stories of his Love Attend ye Loves and speak your Venus Loss More than Adonis she her Bion's was When Homer Dy'd Caliope she Sung And told the Wonders of her Homer's Tongue How he cou'd Move for Thunder in his Song Bion a Bard as great as he 's no more His Thoughts as good his Verse his Skill his Pow'r One drunk the Stream from Pegasus that flow'd The other Arethusa's full as good One told of Wars what Wonders some had done As Menelaus and great Thetis Son The other sung his Pan his Pan his Care His Pan the Virgins and his Herds his Fear He taught the Youth t' attempt the lovely Prise And tell his Heart by speaking with his Eyes He taught the Nymph to Move the Roughest Swain And make him sigh admire and dye in vain And own a Conquest when she pleas'd to Reign Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great Vast Cities Mourn'd that once admir'd his Song Not Asera for her Hesiod wept so long Boetian Woods their lofty Pindar spar'd With less Reluctance than his Death they heard The strong Wall'd Lesbus lov'd Alcaeus less And Ceius City will the same Confess Parus Archilochus lov'd less by far And Mitylena Sappho tho' her Care Ausonian Strains my Numbers Move Such as the Muses and their Bion love Whose Pipe rather than all his Herds I 'de have The Plants the Product of a Fruitful Earth They dye like us but know a second Birth But Man tho' great tho' good tho' strong tho' Wise Can dye but once and never more must rise Cou'd any thing Exempt our Bion's Skill Had sav'd the Bard and all had known him still 'T was Poyson kill'd him but 't was very strange His sweeter Breath the Poyson did not Change O that I as Orpheus once cou'd Tread Or as Alcides or Vlysses did I 'de quickly pay a Visit to his shade And if he Plays below I 'de hear and see What Modes what Strains will please the Deity In vain Eurydice had Orpheus Mourn'd Without his Musick she had ne'er return'd As Orpheus her may I my Friend receive I 'll Pipe to Try and Dye to make him live Anacreon ODE 3. WHen silent Night the Wand'ring Signs employ'd And Weary Mortals welcome Sleep enjoy'd Young Cupid came and made a Woeful Noise Knocking and calling with a loud shrill Voice Open your Doors my Friend no harm I 'll do I 'm but a Boy a very young one too All Wet I 'ave Wander'd in a Rainy Night The Moon or